


The Boy With The Red Bow

by TAHC (orphan_account)



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Bullying, Enemies to Friends, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Light Angst, M/M, Party, Studio Ghibli, To lovers?, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-05 06:07:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12184410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/TAHC
Summary: Jooheon struggles for words on a roof top and Changkyun is unimpressed and overdressed.Or, Jooheon befriends the boy he's probably crushing on.





	The Boy With The Red Bow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [peachyskies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachyskies/gifts).



> Happy Halloween~! 
> 
> Prompt: "we showed up at a halloween party wearing matching/couple costumes and now everyone thinks we're a couple."

“Hey.” 

The boy startles and nearly spills his drink over the edge of the roof. He’s taken his bow off his head and it now hangs around his neck like a wilted flower. 

Jooheon feels the lump in his throat thicken. 

The boy makes no reply to Jooheon’s greeting, but Jooheon takes that as a positive sign rather than a “fuck off”. He steps out of the fire exit doorway, letting the latch click into place behind him and carefully approaches the boy at the side of the building. He makes sure to keep his steps slow and deliberate, as if he were advancing towards a wild animal. 

“Sorry about…all that. They can get kind of,” Jooheon struggles for a PC word to use, “ _rough_ ,” he finally settles for, “around new kids.” 

The boy nods his head, but it’s more of a reflex than anything. He doesn’t look away from where he’s gazing, dead-eyed, off the side of the dorm building down at the boarding house’s yard. 

Usually the lawn is well kept, but given that it’s late October and the weather has taken a turn toward the nasty and there isn’t much to do until it snows. But that means, in the mean time, their school grounds looks like a fucking wreck. 

The grass is overgrown, the trees are in this weird stage between completely bare and patchy, looking much like a cat that got into a scrape with an electric razor. There’s a few muddy parts in the grass from where rugby practice takes place and the grass never grows back because of the beating it gets from the cleats of the players. 

But Jooheon gets the feeling that’s not what the boy is looking at. Actually, he’d venture to guess that the boy isn’t looking at much of anything. Especially since it’s pitch black out and the dim light hanging above the back door only illuminates a good three feet in circumference. Most of the light Jooheon is using to navigate the night comes from the full moon and whatever constellations are visible at the moment. 

“It’s nothing personal,” Jooheon tries again. 

This time he gets a response. Though, it’s not exactly the kind he’s going for.

The boy scoffs and Jooheon wishes he was better at reading people so he can tell whether it comes from a place of self-depreciation or just general sarcasm. Something tellings him it could be both. 

“You think that makes it better?” The boy says. He swishes the contents of his red solo cup around, like a mini-undertow, but never lifts it up to his lips. Jooheon can’t remember if he ever saw the boy take a drink while he was at the party.   

The lighting is doing a shit job at capturing the boy’s face, but Jooheon remembers thinking he looked pretty cute at the party. And of course when he saw him for the first time in first period a week ago. Straight nose, full lips, prominent cheekbones, cat-like eyes. 

“I’m sorry?” Jooheon says, snapping back into the present. 

“Does it make it better if it’s not personal?” 

This time the boy turns his head to fix Jooheon with a glare and Jooheon nearly bowls over from the force of it. The boy is not playing.

Jooheon supposes he can’t blame him. He’d been slowly teased and mocked and ostracized for days now from his fellow classmates, it’s only natural that he’s finally come to a breaking point.  

“I—probably not?” Jooheon tries. “It’s just—listen dude, you gotta admit, it’s pretty wild, Gunhee is pulled out of school and then Headmaster Hong Seungsung says you’re here on a scholarship and you take Gunhee’s place, and you’re like really chummy with Professor Kim Hyungsoo—”

“ _No one_ is chummy with Professor Kim,” the boy says in a flat tone and Jooheon is nearly startled into smiling. 

“Well, it just looks suspicious is all,” Jooheon finishes with a shrug. His fingers itch for a cup to drink from and he briefly considers taking the boy’s…but that’s probably going too far. Especially after the recent party events. 

“So you’re telling me, that since your best friend got kicked out of this god forsaken boarding school—” Jooheon hissed, say what you will, but never say he doesn’t have school spirit “and I just happen to take his place out of the hundreds of applicants on the waitlist, that now for the rest of the year I’m gonna get ostracized?” 

Jooheon picks at his nails before answering. “Also the fact that you’re chummy with Professor Kim.” 

The boy snorts. “Right, my bad. I forgot.” He sloshes his cup more violently now, splashing the drink onto his wrists, but he doesn’t seem to mind. 

“Consider it a hazing period.” Jooheon tries again with a smile. 

The boy scoffs and this time Jooheon honestly doesn’t blame him. 

“Has this happened to anyone else before?” The boy asks, quiet. 

“Yes and no. We usually give all the new transfers a bit of a hard time. But your situation is just particularly sticky.” 

“Fucking great.” 

It’s quiet between them for a moment and Jooheon pretends to be cool with it. Giving the boy ample time to ask questions or broach a different topic of conversation. But he gives up after another minute. 

“So what’s your costume anyways?” He ranks his eyes over the boy. He can’t see much in the dark, but he got a good look at in the hall during the party. He’s in navy blue shorts, like well above the knee shorts, with a tucked in dark blue button down. There’s a small broom made out of straw (very DIY) safety pinned to the front pocket. He has a red-orange satchel hanging across his chest. And of course, that big red bow. Once on his head, now around his neck. 

Jooheon almost is sad to see if dismounted. He had thought it was cute at the time, even if he had said otherwise earlier. 

“Ever seen Kiki’s Delivery Service?” 

“Dude yeah. Ghibli.” Jooheon says in a serious tone. “I fuck with Ghibli. Ponyo was my childhood. Spirited Away is my shit though.” 

The boy sends him an unimpressed look before gesturing to himself, waiting for Jooheon to catch the hint. 

It hits him like a basketball to the face. 

“Oh. Dude…are you Kiki?” 

The boy hums before turning back to face the grounds. 

“Oh…I had no idea.” 

Another snort. He’s good at those. “Got it.” 

“Look, I wouldn’t have teased you about the bow if—” 

“You shouldn’t have teased me at all.” The boy fires back and _shit_. He’s right. 

Jooheon admits just as so. “You’re right, that was a shitty move…I guess I said anything in the first place because…” Because it’s cute. And I wanted your attention. “Because…I was trying to start a conversation.” _Dammit Jooheon._  

“Funny. I don’t usually start my conversations with insults.” 

“Yeah, bad excuse. You’re right.” Jooheon drags his feet against the concrete and wills the tips of his ears not to turn red. “Sorry.” 

The boy grunts, seemingly disinterested in Jooheon’s apology so Jooheon nudges him with his elbow, hard, until he turns his attention back to him.

“I’m sorry.” Jooheon says sincerely. 

The boy only shrugs. “Sure.” 

Jooheon huffs a little. 

He should really calm down. He did what he could. He said sorry. He can go back to the party now. Conscience cleared. 

“Fine.” Jooheon bites back, stepping away from the edge and begins to walk back to the door. 

He turns back though and his heart tugs a little from where it sits in his chest. 

The boy hasn’t moved. His elbows still rest on the waist-tall brick wall, cup still in his hands, untouched. 

He can feel the his mom’s phantom pull on his ear lobe, she hisses into his ear, “Lee Jooheon you _fix this_ right now!”. He can see the disappointed shake of his dad’s head, the pout on his little sister’s lips. Hell, even his dog’s judgmental stare right now. 

So he turns to the door and books it down the stairs back toward the party.  

☠

 When he finally makes it back to the roof, out of breath and slightly disheveled, the boy is still there. 

“Oh thank God!” Jooheon gasps, bending over to catch his breath. “You’re still here!” 

“You’re back.” And if Jooheon wants to take the time to decipher the boy’s exact tone and cadence, he might come to the conclusion that the boy sounds almost happy…maybe even relived to see him again. He preens at the thought. 

“Yeah dude. I had to change my costume. Check it!” He spreads his arms out and does a slow three-sixty, showing off his ten minute efforts. 

He had to borrow the shirt from Kihyun, the only guy he knows who would own a hideous orange and white striped T-shirt. The jeans are his though, he has them rolled up above his ankles and with a pair of brown shoes on his feet (he’s not sure if they’re actually brown or just really fucking muddy). The glasses are his too. They’re for reading. His roommate, Minhyuk, is sworn to secrecy regarding them. 

“What do you think?” Jooheon asks when he doesn’t get an immediate reply from the boy.  
“I—” The boy places his cup on the brick ledge and approaches Jooheon slowly, looking a little dumbstruck. 

“I’m Tombo!” Jooheon exclaims, laughing at the boy’s expression. 

Still, the boy is speechless and Jooheon tries not to preen. 

“Why?” The boy finally chokes out. 

“Why not?” Jooheon counters, enjoying having the upper hand finally. 

“Aren’t you like…” The boy chuckles a little breathlessly and Jooheon’s heart does something funny in his chest. “…nervous how everyone is gonna react?” 

“Let me worry about that,” Jooheon shrugs, uncaring. “Do you wanna go back in?” 

The boy hesitates. 

“C’mon, we can get you a new drink,” Jooehon jokes. 

The boy laughs and oh god. Oh god. Oh god oh god oh god ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod. Jooheon’s blood freezes and his heart stops and his brain checks out for a minute. Jooheon swears he dies for a second because Oh My God. 

That laugh was something out of a fairytale.

“You,” Jooheon starts and before the rest of the words leave his mouth he knows it’s already a bad idea, “you have a really nice smile.”  Oh god. 

The boy freezes, dumbstruck and Jooheon nearly slaps his own cheek. 

“Thanks…?” The boy finally says, but the words come out shy rather than suspicious or god forbid, disgusted. 

“Cool, cool, cool. So drink?” Jooheon shoves his hands into his pant pockets. 

The boy laughs again, this time it’s more reigned in, but its effect is still astronomical on Jooheon’s health. “Sure, a drink. Let’s do that.” 

Jooheon does his best not to sneak peeks at him as they walk to the door together. 

☠

“I didn’t know you had brought a hot date Jooheon!” Someone calls from across the hall. Jooheon flips them off without even turning around. 

The boy is explaining to him the plot of the first Lord of the Rings, which Jooheon has seen, definitely, maybe, probably. But it doesn’t matter, because Jooheon wants to hear the boy talk about it. 

He’s pleased to notice that the boy doesn’t miss a beat in his story and goes right into the hobbits’ arrival at the Prancing Pony, paying no mind to anyone who is not Jooheon. 

It’s a little intoxicating if Jooheon is being honest. To be the focus of attention. Especially when it’s coming from someone like this boy. Someone like this boy…Jooheon isn’t even sure if he knows what that means. But he’d like to find out. 

There was no shortage of teasing due to their costumes once they’d re-entered the party. Half of the abusers didn’t even know what Kiki’s Delivery Service was, but it was enough for them together to begin their teasing. 

Which is fine. Jooheon can deal with this. 

“So this is when Aragorn shows up and—”

“Dude, take a sip, clear your throat. You’re gonna be mute by the time you get to the meeting at Rivendell.” 

He realizes his slip after the boy takes a draw out of his drink and raises an eyebrow at him. “Never seen Lord of the Rings huh?” 

“Shit.” 

The boy just laughs easily. “Dude, why’d you have me tell you about if you’ve already seen it?” 

“It’s been a while.” Jooheon lies easily. 

“Uh huh,” the boy says into his cup, unconvinced if the look in his eyes is anything to go by. 

“I like listening to you talk,” Jooheon admits and _shit_ did he really just say that? 

The boy looks taken aback and he hides himself behind his cup. “Oh?” The tips of his ears are a little pink. “Well, I’m not much of a talker. You’ve just got me on a subject I actually give a shit about.” 

“Lucky me then.” And _holy shit_ is Jooheon flirting? 

“Dude,” the boy laughs, elbowing Jooheon in the chest and snorting into his cup. “What the fuck?” 

“Why don’t you kiss him Jooheon?” 

The voice pierces through the hall and catches the attention of several heads that swivel to fix looks at Jooheon and the boy. 

“Maybe I will!” Jooheon yells in reply before turning back to the boy. “May I?” 

The boy smirks a bit. “Maybe buy me dinner first,” he says, cheeky. 

“I can do that. I’m Jooheon by the way. Lee Jooheon.” He sticks out a hand for a shake. 

“Lim Changkyun.” The boy slips his hand into Jooheon’s and they smile at each other.

☠

  

**Author's Note:**

> Okay listen, this was my fourth attempt at writing a story. The first was about a 100 year old prophecy and some terrible roommates, the other was about vampires and werewolves, another was about...I'm not even sure haha. So I'm so sorry this is the one I decided with, it's so short and such an...unconventional way of filling the given prompt. But I'm such a sucker for No.Mercy episode 8 and all the angst involved!!  
> In any case, I hope you enjoyed it! And if you didn't, hit me up, I'll write something else XD


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